


Crossing Boundaries

by KellyLiz



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-31
Updated: 2013-07-31
Packaged: 2017-12-21 22:41:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/905806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KellyLiz/pseuds/KellyLiz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What might have happened on the day Darcy and Gigi take Lizzie on a tour of San Francisco</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crossing Boundaries

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to use the eagle frightening Lizzie on the beach that was used in my fanfiction before, since Eagle was the code name for Lizzie used by Gigi and Fitz.  
> If anyone likes metaphors, the eagle stands for Lizzie and the crow is (you probably guessed it) Caroline.

Lizzie grinned as she posed for Gigi’s photo by pointing up to the Golden Gate Bridge. Darcy was standing next to his sister, watching with a slight smile on his lips. Why did she keep staring at his lips? It was getting worse as the day progressed. Lizzie couldn’t keep her thoughts from his hands, his lips, his eyes, that gorgeous jawline.

She was surprised at how quickly her thoughts had changed concerning Darcy. Since coming to Pemberley, she’d gone from –well where had she started? She hadn’t hated him,that had disappeared sometime after reading and re-reading his letter. But she definitely had not wanted to seek him out or looked forward to his company. Now she not only wanted to be around him, she wanted more. How much more, she was not sure.

Her feelings about Gigi’s awkward attempts at bringing them together had also radically changed. Annoyance and embarrassment had been replaced by a certain amount of gratefulness. She wasn’t sure if she wanted Gigi’s interference, but Darcy’s sister earnestly trying to push them together was so sweet. Sweet that she loved her brother so much she took such an interest in helping him with his love life, and especially gratifying that Gigi felt (and Lizzie hoped this meant that Darcy felt) that Lizzie was so right for him. After how awfully she had treated him, the thought that he still loved her filled her with a sense of incredulity. She wasn’t blind, she saw the way he looked at her. She knew he still cared. It humbled her, his feelings. That she inspired such a love made her feel unworthy, and yet also treasured.

Lizzie walked back towards Darcy and Gigi as Gigi tweeted her photo. “Would you like to walk along the beach?” Darcy asked, his blue eyes almost more intense through the lenses of his glasses. Lizzie felt a bit annoyed that he looked even more drop-dead gorgeous with those stupid hipster glasses.

“Sure.” Lizzie nodded and they moved closer to the water’s edge and started walking slowly. Gigi trailed slightly behind, still looking at her phone. Darcy picked up a flat rock and threw it hard, side-armed, so that it skipped three times on the calm bay water before sinking. “I always wanted to be able to skip rocks,” Lizzie lamented. “It hasn’t happened yet.”

Darcy looked around the beach and picked up another flat rock. “Try this one,” he said handing her the rock. “Turn your arm like this,” he stood behind her and took her arm to show her the motion, “and then snap your arm so that the release is fast.”

Lizzie was having a hard time concentrating. Darcy’s hands felt large on her arm and she could feel his body close behind her. She took a breath and pulled back her arm into position. “It might be easier if you turn your body to the side more,” she felt his warm breath on her ear, and his hands were on her hips positioning her so that she was angled sideways towards the water. Lizzie felt a frisson of desire from his hands gently cupping her hips. She hoped he didn’t notice the slight trembling in her hand holding the rock. She pulled back her arm again, and side-armed the rock towards the water. It landed, pathetically with a loud plop in the water, before sinking quickly.

Lizzie laughed. “I truly suck at this.” She was trying to sound normal, although her voice sounded forced to her own ears.

“Here,” Darcy stepped away and picked up another flat rock. At least she could breathe normally without him touching her. She turned into the proper position again, and carefully brought her arm back and side-armed it quickly as he had shown her. This time the rock was released at the right trajectory, and it skipped once before sinking. Lizzie jumped with her arms held straight up, fists clenched. “Yes!” she exclaimed and turned to Darcy with a big smile. Darcy was smiling at her with that look in his eyes where he watched her with an intensity that made her feel dizzy. Gigi cheered, “Go Lizzie!” Lizzie had forgotten Gigi was with them the last few minutes.

They walked away from the water towards the softer sand. As they walked, Lizzie looked for shells or broken pieces of glass with their edges smoothed soft by the water. Darcy was telling her a story about when he was a young boy and he first tried swimming in the cold San Francisco Bay. “It was so hot, and the blue water looked so inviting. My dad tried to warn me, but I just ran and jumped in. It was so cold, I was in shock. I felt I couldn’t breathe for a few minutes.” Lizzie laughed trying to imagine a small William (Darcy didn’t seem the right name for such a little boy) shaking with the numbness of the frigid waters of the Bay. She felt a warmth inside that he was sharing childhood stories with her. She knew he did not do that with many people.

Gigi interjected from Lizzie’s other side. “And when I first wanted to splash in the Bay, he wouldn’t let me! He kept telling me I would freeze and mom had to persuade him to let me take off my sandals and just wade up to my knees. It was so cold. I was only about four, but I remember how determined I was to stay in there for a while to prove to him that I could do it.”

“She’s proved me wrong many times,” Darcy said with a wry look on his face. “I’ve found it best not to challenge her too much, or it makes her even more persistent in her efforts. Of course, I’ve used that to my advantage also. I rarely had to nag Gigi to do her homework, or practice tennis. She works very hard.”

Lizzie loved the closeness of the Darcy siblings. “Aren’t there any underachieving Darcys?” she asked before squealing as an eagle with something in its talons came speeding over their heads chased by an extremely loud crow. “Holy shit!” Lizzie cried as she lunged towards Darcy. She latched onto his arm with both of her hands, one arm grabbing his upper arm and the other holding his forearm and she pressed as close to him as possible. She was shaking and the loud caws of the crow continued as it followed the eagle down the beach.

“It looks like the crow thinks the eagle stole something from it.” She heard suppressed laughter in Gigi’s voice, but Gigi was being studiously polite about Lizzie’s phobia.

Darcy nodded. “I think whatever the eagle is carrying is too heavy for it to go very high. Eagles can fly much higher and faster than crows normally.” Lizzie knew that Darcy would also be very polite in not pointing out her irrational behavior. She recognized the eagle or crow was not going to come down and attack her, but she couldn’t stop the automatic response of her body when they came that close. Darcy looked down at her. She saw he was trying to hide his amusement, but something else flickered behind his eyes.  


Lizzie might be embarrassed later, but right now she threw away her pride and hung on tight to Darcy. In all honesty, if any bird did decide to attack Lizzie, there was no one she would trust more than Darcy to protect her. The eagle and crow were still visible down the beach and they could come back in a hurry at any time.

“Where are we g-going next?” Lizzie asked, pleased that she could still talk coherently. She had no plans to let Darcy go until they were safely in the car.

“We were planning to take you to Ghirardelli Square.” Gigi replied. “I think you deserve some chocolate after that high-speed bird chase.”

Their walk to the car took a little longer than usual since Lizzie remained plastered to Darcy’s side. As her fear abated, she tried not to notice how hard his bicep was and how good it felt to be so close to him. Gigi slid into the back seat again before Lizzie could protest. “You’re our guest!” she’d said when they had picked her up in the morning and Lizzie had tried to take the back seat.

Gigi chattered from the back seat, telling Lizzie the history of Ghirardelli Chocolate. Lizzie listened absently, watching Darcy as he drove. Darcy drove competently and kept his eyes on the road, besides short side glances to check on her. Something in his protectiveness was a turn-on, she realized. She had thought it might smack of male chauvinism, but Darcy’s taking care of Gigi and his friends now just seemed considerate and caring. Except for his over-protectiveness of Bing, she reflected, which had hurt her sister so badly. Lizzie had held that against Darcy for a long time. She still wasn’t happy about it, but she understood a little better why Darcy had interfered now, and she no longer resented him for it. She’d made more than her share of mistakes these past months.

Ghirardelli Square was one of those perfect places every chocoholic had to see, Lizzie decided after trying to figure out what candy she should buy. “Have you tried the Gourmet Milk Chocolate Squares?” Gigi pointed Lizzie towards another display. Gigi had already bought several different bars and she bounded over to Lizzie and handed her a section to try.

“Just kill me now,” Lizzie moaned as she bit into the chocolate. “How will I ever pick? I want all of them.” She saw Darcy watching her. That look was back in his eyes and he was staring at her lips. Lizzie felt a little shaky suddenly. She grabbed a small bag of the chocolate squares nearest to her and turned back to Gigi. “I’ll just randomly pick two bags of squares that I’ve never had before.”

After wandering around Ghirardelli Square, they walked to Lombard Street, allegedly one of the crookedest streets in the world. “Though it’s not even the most crooked street in San Francisco,” Gigi explained. “It’s the most famous and it’s really pretty. The walk uphill will definitely help us burn off the calories from the chocolate.”

After the second switchback, Lizzie pulled off her scarf. By the fourth switchback, she had taken off her coat. They were keeping a good pace, and although the day was crisp and cool, Lizzie was starting to sweat. By this time, Darcy had removed his scarf and unbuttoned his coat, Gigi had slipped off her coat and tied it around her waist. Gigi and Darcy were able to talk without any breathiness the entire climb. Lizzie decided to forgo talking; just keeping up with them without huffing was good enough for her. She really needed to take up tennis again, she thought as she watched Gigi’s swift pace. Or biking, she mentally added, noticing Darcy’s even breathing as he climbed while explaining the history of the street to them.

The view from the top was beautiful. Lizzie looked down a little dubiously at the sidewalk going back. She wasn’t sure her boots would work so well for this steep of a walk downhill. “It’s a pretty steep slope,” Darcy seemed to be reading her mind. “Will your boots be safe enough?”

“Um, I’m not sure,” Lizzie frowned.

“Let’s link arms,” Gigi suggested. “Lizzie, you can be in the middle. If you start to slip, we’ll catch you.”

Darcy took Lizzie’s scarf and coat. “Let me carry these with my free arm,” he offered.

“You guys are spoiling me.” Lizzie took Darcy’s left arm and Gigi’s right and they started down. Darcy was holding so much of her weight she felt she was practically floating downhill. “Why didn’t we do this on the walk up?” Lizzie laughed. “You two are pretty much carrying me.” She really was enjoying how well the Darcys took care of her.

Lizzie insisted on paying for dinner (she didn’t even want to think what lunch had cost in that beautiful Italian restaurant where Darcy had snatched up the bill before she could even look), and Gigi told Lizzie about a fantastic pizza place that they ended up eating at. Darcy had been fairly talkative all day (by Darcy standards), and had been an exceptional tour guide. He was even more talkative at dinner, telling Lizzie about Gigi and his favorite places to eat in San Francisco.

Lizzie listened attentively. Darcy had a dry wit which she appreciated more the longer she knew him. He seemed much more open and relaxed with her since she had come to Pemberley. At Netherfield, she had found him distant and awkward. Had he really changed that much, or was she now just reading him better? Lizzie decided it was probably both. He was trying and maybe she was finally receptive to him.

Gigi turned to Darcy as they got up from the table and left the restaurant. “Can you drop me off at Beth’s on the way to Lizzie’s?” she asked. “She asked for my help on a project for our class.”

Darcy glanced at Lizzie to see if she minded. Lizzie smiled. “Of course,” he answered. Gigi had been good all day about not ditching them, and it had been weeks since Lizzie had been nervous about being alone with Darcy.

Lizzie and Darcy were deep in a discussion about health care issues when they dropped Gigi off at her friend’s place. Later, Darcy parked his car in front of Lizzie’s temporary house. Lizzie expected to say good-night in the car, but he was out of the door before she could speak. She should have realized his good manners would include walking her to the door, she belatedly thought as he opened her car door for her. They walked up slowly, arms occasionally brushing. The silence was no longer awkward, but comfortable and Lizzie found herself stealing sideways glances at him.

She turned towards him as they reached the front door. “Thank you so much, Darcy, for everything. And please thank Gigi for me,” she smiled. His eyes were shadowed and she could not read their expression.

Darcy cleared his throat. “You are very welcome, Lizzie. I’ll see you on Monday?”

Lizzie paused. “Would you like to come in?” she asked, with only a slight quaver in her voice.

“Yes,” Darcy could not totally disguise the eagerness in his voice.

Lizzie opened the door and they went in. She set down her purse and quickly took off her scarf and coat. “Can I get your coat?” she turned to Darcy. He shrugged out of his coat and handed it to her, and she took her time hanging it on a hook in the foyer, trying to calm her nerves in the process.

“Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, tea, something cool?” Lizzie headed towards the open kitchen. Darcy followed her.

“Tea would be great,” Darcy replied. When had she started noticing how sexy his voice was?

Lizzie started bustling around the kitchen, gathering tea cups and spoons. She opened the top cupboard that had the tea, and tiptoed to reach the boxes just inches too far from her fingers. She felt Darcy move right behind her, and he reached over her to easily grab the tea. Lizzie felt the warmth from his closeness radiating along her back. He set the tea on the counter in front of her, but did not step away. Lizzie forgot to breathe. Her hands clenched the edge of the counter, knuckles white. She knew what would happen if she turned around. The ache inside her, an ache that had been building all day, battled with the fear of facing her feelings for Darcy. They stood, frozen in place for what seemed like an eon, but was most likely only seconds. “Lizzie,” Darcy breathed quietly.

Lizzie turned around. He was so close, and his eyes bored into hers. There was a want and a need in them that matched her own. But there was also a fierce restraint, a restraint that Lizzie had never before considered how hard it must be for him to maintain. He was waiting and she knew he wanted her to make the next move. She swallowed as their stare intensified. Her heart was beating so hard, he must surely hear it. Her thoughts whirled around frantically as her eyes dropped to his lips. She saw a muscle in Darcy’s jaw clench, and suddenly her nervousness dropped away. She knew what she wanted and her mind cleared. “William,” she spoke very quietly. “I want to be with you. You don’t have to hold back any more.”

There was a split second in which she could see the joy that spread over his face at her words, and then his lips were on hers and he had caught her up in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hauling herself up to get closer. His mouth was so hot and insistent and he was doing wonderful things with his tongue causing her to moan and to sag against him as her knees decided to quit supporting her. Still kissing her, Darcy reached down and picked her up in his arms, carrying her to the living room where he sat on the couch, cradling her closely in his lap. Lizzie grabbed his hair and angled her head to get better access as she kissed him with all of the pent-up feelings she had been fighting these last several weeks. His arms gathered her closer as he left her mouth to move his lips along her jaw causing her to sigh.

“Lizzie,” he stopped and pulled back a little so he could see her face. “Does this mean, um, that you like me?"

Lizzie blushed. “Of course I like you. I care about you a lot, William.”

“I mean,” Lizzie thought Darcy looked so hot in his earnestness “do you want to date me? Be my girlfriend?”

Lizzie looked into his eyes, those piercing blue eyes that now expressed a heartrending look of hope. “Yes, I would like that. That is,” she suddenly felt awkward, hoping she wasn’t assuming too much “if you still care about me.”

Darcy’s face lit up and he hugged her tightly. “I love you, Lizzie, even more than before. Nothing would make me happier than being with you.”

Lizzie could not remember ever feeling this good. Darcy ran one hand down her back while the other combed through her hair with a reverent gentleness that contrasted with their frenzied kissing just moments before. Lizzie’s head was comfortably cushioned on his shoulder. “Haven’t we crossed some boundary?” Lizzie asked. “I’m interning at your company, are there any rules we’ve broken?”

She felt as well as heard the rumble of his chuckle through their joined bodies. “There’s no policy against employees dating at Pemberley. However, if an employee felt a supervisor or manager put any pressure on her or him that would be considered sexual harassment and it could cause a potential lawsuit.”

Lizzie smiled. “I’m not going to sue you,” she assured him. This time Darcy laughed out loud and hugged her tighter. “It’s a good thing I’m not over you, because I plan to pressure you to do this again in the very near future,” she continued.

Darcy looked into her eyes. His blue eyes blazed with a mixture of happiness and passion. “I can work with that,” he said and he bent his head down to kiss her. Lizzie grabbed his neck with her hands and pulled him closer as her lips opened up to his.

___________________________________________________________________________  


She turned towards him as they reached the front door. “Thank you so much, Darcy, for everything. And please thank Gigi for me,” she smiled. His eyes were shadowed and she could not read their expression.

Darcy cleared his throat. “You are very welcome, Lizzie. I’ll see you on Monday?”

Lizzie paused. She smiled warmly at him. “Yes, see you then.”

Lizzie squirmed hours later as the minutes ticked by and she was still unable to fall asleep. The ache continued unabated inside her, her imagining what might have been just making it worse. She regretted again that she had not invited Darcy in after he drove her home. She didn’t yet know it was a regret that would haunt her for the next two months until her birthday, where finally, reality would eclipse her imagination.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, I couldn't go off-canon!


End file.
